Työni tuloksena esitän ideoita luontokokemuksellisen ympäristön suunnitteluun. Ideapaketti jakautuu kahteen osaan, joista ensimmäisessä käsittelen miellyttävien ja elvyttävien ympäristöjen ominaisuuksia. Niiden tulisi olla monipuolisia, jäsentyneitä, luettavia ja samalla hieman salaperäisiä. Toisessa osassa esittelen suunnitteluideoita aktiivisen, sosiaalisen ja vihreän ympäristön luomiseen.My thesis is about the health benefits of nature experiences. I’m focusing on the subject in the landscape planner’s view. In the thesis I list some of the main research results about nature experience’s health benefits. I discuss about the role and meaning of nature experiences in the densifying cities today. I also bring out the question how reliable is it to research effects of nature experiences.

The nature experience means the situation when human and nature are interacting. It is always personal experience for the person itself, and to it affects also the person’s own background. Nature experiences have been decreasing in the past years, and it has been a source of worry. Decreasment of the nature experiences weakens human’s relationship with nature. Recreation and sports are often included in the nature experience, and also listening or touching the nature elements. Exercising or socializing at the same time strengthens the health benefits. Even looking at the green scenery from the window can be a nature experience.

These health benefits have been studied a lot for many decades and there is a lot of literature of it. Usually the research method has been subjective, where the participants estimate their feelings during the nature experience. During the past decade also objective research method has been used more often. Participant’s physiological effects can be measured, such as blood pressure, heart rate or cortisol levels. There are summaries of different study results, and the results seem to be similar. Even a short time in nature decreases stress, lowers blood pressure, increases self-esteem and mental wellbeing. These are only few affects to mention.

The investigators have been creating different theories about the mechanisms of the affects nature experiences offer us. They have tried to find different characters in the environment, which make it especially good in restoration. In my work I discuss about these characters and mechanisms. Some nature elements, such as dangerous animals, can cause also fear and anxiety. Also the built green areas in the cities can affect in us in similar ways as nature areas. They affect positively in the residents’ health and wellbeing. People practise more sports in outdoors when there is accessible green area nearby.

The result of my work is the idea package, which is meant for planners. It is helpful in planning more nature experience friendly environments into the densifying cities. The idea package is divided in two parts. The first part is about the qualities of the restorative environments. They should be diverse, coherent, understandable and at the same time mysterious. The second part is listed with some planning ideas for creating active, social and green environments.